


The Rest of the Poetry Class

by Onmyliteraturebullshitagain



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Companion Piece, Especially from an outside perspective, Formatting might be weird, Group chat, Humor, Just shenanigans, M/M, POV Outsider, Rating for Language, They're both awkward turtleducks, This also might be wildly inaccurate to any real group chat but here we are, Watching Poetry Zukka from the outside, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, zukka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29112507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onmyliteraturebullshitagain/pseuds/Onmyliteraturebullshitagain
Summary: A companion piece to "Syllables of Debris" about what Sokka and Zuko's strange poetry-based romance looked like from the outside, told via a group chat of friends becoming increasingly invested in the unfolding drama.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 46
Kudos: 138





	The Rest of the Poetry Class

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by reyyy's comments (and a few other similar comments) and discussion with me about "Syllables of Debris" and specifically the chapter where Sokka and Zuko were fighting in the poetry class and what that must have looked like to the other students. So here's that story, and thanks so much for the inspiration!! I hope you enjoy a lighter take on "Syllables" :)

MadMaddy: you know the two guys in my lit class who are REEEEEEALLY into poetry?

Yearofthesnake: which guys?

XD_hello: the goth and the surfer?

Nanana: THE RED GAY AND THE BLUE GAY????

MadMaddy: those are the guys

MadMaddy: but also really? Goth/surfer and red/blue? Also, how'd you guys decide the one guy was red?

Yearofthesnake: vibes

Nanana: the DRAMA. No way he's a blue gay with the black clothes and the scar and the brooding in the corner

MadMaddy: so why not blue gay/black gay?

XD_hello: sounds racist

Nanana: 🙈

Yearofthesnake: we wouldn't have to do this if you actually knew their names

MadMaddy: Prof Iroh only uses last names! So its Amerrook and Akey, except those are both probably spelled wrong and that seems MORE racist

Yearofthesnake: so red and blue gay it is

XD_hello: goth/surfer

Yearofthesnake: poetry gays™

XD_hello: guys Maddy needs to stop staring at and just get a date already

MadMaddy: 🖕

Nanana: Mads you were saying something?

MadMaddy: oh yeah. Well after a lot of staring for WEEKS I think they did their version of foreplay in class today

XD_hello: 👀

MadMaddy: in depth analysis of a poem while making VERY intense eye contact

MadMaddy: there was a surprising amount of sexual tension for discussing word choice and symbolism

MadMaddy: pretty sure they're gonna fuck

*****

MadMaddy: oh they HAVE to have done it

Nanana: red/blue gays again?

MadMaddy: yep

MadMaddy: i either wanna throw up or hug them since i'm living out my romantic fantasies through them

Yearofthesnake: you wanna fuck a guy over poetry???

XD_hello: Kinky. 👅 Who knew Mads had it in her

MadMaddy: Mel i'll dump you outta this group chat so fast…

XD_hello: 🤐

Yearofthesnake: so why do you think they did it?

MadMaddy: they're all cute now. Walking down to the student center, sitting all close together, doing that whole staring while the other person isn't looking

MadMaddy: god i hate them

*****

MadMaddy: nope NOW they've definitely fucked

Yearofthesnake: oh good i'd been missing my red/blue content

Yearofthesnake: it's like a CW show meets Jane Austen

Yearofthesnake: only gayer

MadMaddy: right?? How is this my life now?

MadMaddy: but yeah, there's a whole new level of overly erotic poetry shit with them

MadMaddy: i overheard them talking about a yeats poem after class and it was like walking into a really specific porno. A lot of subtle touching and eye contact and husky voices

Yearofthesnake: oh to be a poetry gay™

Nanana: good for them! Yay for a happy ending for Maddy's side project

MadMaddy: they better work out. If they break up i'll never believe in love again

*****

MadMaddy: BLUE GAY ISNT COMING TO CLASS I REPEAT BLUE GAY HAS STOPPED COMING TO CLASS

XD_hello: ………

Nanana: noooooo 🥺

MadMaddy: something happened!! Something's wrong with my poetry gays™ 😢😢😢

Yearofthesnake: he probably just has the flu that's been going around holy shit guys

Yearofthesnake: like six people in my psych class have been out for a week

MadMaddy: no because red gay's here sometimes and he's definitely SAD 

Yearofthesnake: thought he was always sad

XD_hello: yeah isn't he goth? That's like their whole thing

Yearofthesnake: thought that was emo or something

XD_hello: oh my god EMO? Dan how old are you? Gonna listen to FOB and go to Hot Topic after school?

Yearofthesnake: fuck off Mel

Nanana: what about the GAAAAAAAYYYYYSSS??????

MadMaddy: Thank you Bella! SOMEONE actually cares about my gays.

Nanana: so?????

MadMaddy: something bad must've happened! Idk what it is but they’re not together and now blue is gone and red is clearly a mess. 

MadMaddy: Our poetry gays™ might be over… 😫

Yearofthesnake: well looks like love is dead

XD_hello: all aboard the existential express! 

MadMaddy: choo choo 😕

*****

MadMaddy: I'm literally stealth texting in the middle of class for this

MadMaddy: blue gay is back but the girls are FIGHTING

MadMaddy: with POETRY i might add

MadMaddy: they're both going off about shakespeare and love but not actually to each other?? PEAK drama

MadMaddy: I think one dicked over the other one?? Maybe one cheated?? Lots of weirdly pointed comments about honesty and commitment and relationships while not looking at each other

MadMaddy: oh fuck blue gay just said maybe love isn't real!!

MadMaddy: red gay doesn't agree so maybe there's hope?

MadMaddy: some weird shit about the poet?? More weird shit about being equals in a relationship?? Wtf

MadMaddy: poetry gays™ are IMPLODING and Prof Iroh's just up there like sirs this is an arby's drive thru

MadMaddy: oh it's done for now but i'll keep you posted

Yearofthesnake: that story was literally better than the entire last season of supernatural 

*****

Nanana: still nothing on our red/blue gays?

Yearofthesnake: poetry gays™

Nanana: we obviously know by now which gays we're discussing 

Nanana: seriously I need an update to distract me from the C I got on my soc midterm

XD_hello: love that you're panicking about a C when i got a 37% on my econ test

Yearofthesnake: yeah but Bella actually cares about school

XD_hello: har har Dan's so funny

Nanana: seriously Maddy any crumb of serotonin i can get right now please?

MadMaddy: something did happen with a folder in the hallway after class but i missed most of it

Nanana: was there YEARNING??

MadMaddy: looked like it based on body language but idk

Nanana: romantic confessions??

MadMaddy: not that i could hear but definitely their weird lingering eye contact + new sadboy longing

Nanana: poor poetry gays

Yearofthesnake: ™

MadMaddy: speaking of poetry, was anyone gonna come with me to that reading this friday??

XD_hello: for that secret Purple Ghost poet or whatever?

MadMaddy: Blue Spirit

MadMaddy: but yeah that one

Nanana: 😣 can't gotta study

XD_hello: 😐 can't gotta pretend i'm gonna study

Yearofthesnake: do I need to know his (her? their?) poetry to get it?

MadMaddy: i don't think so but i can loan you the book if you want before we go 😁

Yearofthesnake: oh good more homework 

Yearofthesnake: see you then

*****

MadMaddy: Dan you here yet?

Yearofthesnake: just parked. Walking over now

MadMaddy: red poetry gay is here!!!!

XD_hello: is that surprising? Poetry reading = poetry gays™

MadMaddy: yeah i guess

MadMaddy: wait…

MadMaddy: red gay is GOING ON STAGE

MadMaddy: RED GAY IS THE BLUE SPIRIT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? 🤯🤯🤯

XD_hello: so he's actually the BLUE gay

XD_hello: plot twist

MadMaddy: holy shit he's the blue spirit!

MadMaddy: also his name is apparently Zoocko. Zooko? Zukoe? Whatever

XD_hello: all those names look fake

Yearofthesnake: pretty sure "Zuko" might be an actual name

MadMaddy: Dan you here for this??

Yearofthesnake: by the counter. Whatever color gay’s poetry is actually pretty good even if he looks fucking PETRIFIED

MadMaddy: he IS good! Seriously holy shit a poet i like was IN MY POETRY CLASS 

MadMaddy: and i've been STARING AT HIM AND HIS BOYFRIEND FOR MONTHS

MadMaddy: 😵

Yearofthesnake: where are you? Got lattes

MadMaddy: table near the middle. I’m trying to subtly wave

Yearofthesnake: wait Mads describe blue gay again

MadMaddy: what? why?

Yearofthesnake: he mighta just walked in

MadMaddy: seriously??? Oh shit oh shit oh shit

MadMaddy: tallish, muscular, shaved head on the sides, ponytail, native I think, hot in a himbo sorta way??

Yearofthesnake: shit i think he's here and watching his fellow poetry gay

MadMaddy: is that who Blue Spirit is looking at???

Yearofthesnake: gotta be

Yearofthesnake: holy shit you weren't joking about the fucking yearning

Yearofthesnake: like yearn harder you fucks

Yearofthesnake: do they realize other people are here??

Yearofthesnake: i feel like a peeping tom and we're in a public coffee place?? Is this how you've felt all semester??

MadMaddy: yep

Yearofthesnake: 😳

MadMaddy: you coming to my table??

Yearofthesnake: and miss this seat for the gay CW/Jane Austen season finale?? Girl please

Yearofthesnake: also yeah definitely here for the poetry himbo aesthetic over skinny goth boy so imma enjoy my view

MadMaddy: A POEM FOR SOMEONE HE LOVES IM GONNA THROW UP

Yearofthesnake: woah this is some intense romantic gesture shit

MadMaddy: blue gay's response???? good/bad/neutral????

Yearofthesnake: feeling it

Yearofthesnake: full giant heart eye

Yearofthesnake: he may bum rush the stage like a crazed fangirl

Yearofthesnake: if this gets any more intense the place is gonna start on fire

MadMaddy: …

MadMaddy: damn Zuko just call me single to my face next time

Yearofthesnake: yeah we're gonna die alone

*****

XD_hello: coming into this text chain was like having a fucking stroke

Nanana: adsgrtgvutyyedfvggfd

Nanana: 😍😍😍 what's happening now???

Nanana: did they talk?? Are they back together?? Come on guys!!!!!!!

MadMaddy: nothing happening right now

MadMaddy: Blue Spirit's at a table and we're in line to buy a book

Yearofthesnake: "buy a book" = spy at a closer distance

Nanana: what's going on now??

Nanana: guys???

Nanana: you know i hate cliffhangers!!!!!! 😥

Yearofthesnake: blue gay/poetry himbo's name is Socka (Soka? Sokka?) apparently

MadMaddy: they're talking now and we're all watching like romance-starved vultures

XD_hello: caw caw motherfuckers

MadMaddy: oh my god they're so awkward

Yearofthesnake: the one guy is LITERALLY a poet and he apparently can't make human sentences?

MadMaddy: DAN i can't believe you actually yelled at them to "talk now" wtf is wrong with you???

Nanana: Dan was raised by wolves

XD_hello: i thought he was raised by feral drag queens?

Yearofthesnake: they're still talking aren't they?? So don't @ me

MadMaddy: holy shit it's so sweet guys they're such fucking nerds but they FOUND each other… 😭

MadMaddy: Zuko just asked Socka on a date?!?!?!

Nanana: thought they were already dating??

XD_hello: maybe they were just hooking up?

Nanana: seems crass for poets

XD_hello: oh bell you're too pure for this world

MadMaddy: soooooooo much awkward sweetness holy shit

MadMaddy: oh my god guys love is real again!

Yearofthesnake: poetry gays™ are back

MadMaddy: full love confession and everything!!! 😭

XD_hello: everyone off the existential expression

Nanana: 😍🤗🥳 choo choo

MadMaddy: oh shit Zuko just kissed him right in front of everyone!!!!

MadMaddy: … oh damn

Yearofthesnake: ok poetry gays™ need to get a fucking room…

*****

Yearofthesnake: Mads you want a ride home?

MadMaddy: actually think I'm gonna hang out for a bit

Yearofthesnake: alone at a closing coffee shop??

MadMaddy: um...

XD_hello: 🤔 green is sus

MadMaddy: not sus shut up maybe i wanna hang out a little while!

XD_hello: it's a dude

XD_hello: there's dick involved for sure

MadMaddy: 🖕

XD_hello: 🍆

Yearofthesnake: seriously what's up?

MadMaddy:I'm just enjoying my coffee and the poetry gays™ being all cute again

MadMaddy:They're holding hands and having some intense conversation

XD_hello: Don't try to distract us we know it's a guy

XD_hello:👉👌

Yearofthesnake:Didn't think i'd say this but i'm with Mel - no way it's just poetry gays™ still

MadMaddy: ……

MadMaddy: FINE! Started talking to a guy at the reading

MadMaddy: seems cool, likes the Blue Spirit, goes to our school, soc major, no serial killer vibes

MadMaddy: we're gonna go get a drink

Nanana: 🎆 poetry straights poetry straights poetry straights poetry straights 🎆

XD_hello: knew it was dick!!

Nanana: it's ROMANTIC Mel god

Yearofthesnake: you DID wanna fuck a guy over poetry!!!!!

XD_hello: TOLD you it was kinky!!

Nanana: keep us posted!! ♥️♥️♥️

XD_hello: tell us if he seduces you with Emily Dickinson or something

Nanana: PLEASE tell us if he writes you poetry!!

XD_hello: or you guys go at it on a big stack of books and feather pens or some shit

Yearofthesnake: thank god there’ll be a new season of poetry (not quite) gays™

Yearofthesnake:There better be the same level of drama and yearning

XD_hello: And excruciating sexual tension 👀

Nanana: And romantic gestures!! ♥️♥️♥️

XD_hello: Don't disappoint us now Mads + rando poetry man

Yearofthesnake: Poetry straights™

MadMaddy: i'm not telling any of you a damn thing ever again


End file.
